Executive
Summary:
PUSH Regional Experts Workshop April 11,
2008
Overview:
The purpose of the Regional Experts Workshop was to present
the PUSH project's new publication Our Shared Heritage:
An Anthology of the Region's Shared Natural and Cultural
Heritage to the regional experts that have been
involved in PUSH since its inception. The unique
publication, released in a single Arabic, Hebrew and
English format, provides a comprehensive review of the
large variety of shared natural and cultural heritage in
Jordan, the Palestinian Territories and Israel.
Furthermore, PUSH presented the six pilot sites selected to
be the focus of PUSH activities during the coming year.
Throughout the workshop, PUSH teams engaged in a discussion
with the numerous Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian
experts, gathered from a wide range of professional fields,
concerning the PUSH project's upcoming publication of site
brochures and site manuals.
The PUSH project's Regional Experts Workshop was held at
Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design's Department of
Architecture building in central Jerusalem on April
11th, 2008. Upon
arrival guests received copies of the new PUSH book in
addition to other supplementary materials.
Welcome and
Pilot Site Selection Presentation:
Presented by Professor Michael Turner, Bezalel Academy
Project Manager
Professor Turner presented the six pilot sites that PUSH
will focus on in the second half of its project. The six
sites, selected collaboratively by the three teams, include
the "Great Cities" of Sabastia, Pella and Beit She'an,
which share a single common narrative; and Gesher, Artas
and the Jordan River at Bakoura site of which host multiple
narratives of great importance to the peoples of the
region.
Open Experts Discussion:
Comments and Reflections on the Selected Pilot
Sites:
- The most important mission of the PUSH project is to
enrich and broaden the understanding of heritage. Regarding
the sites selected, "Great Cities," these are dead cities
which are connected indirectly to a living community. These
cities are mainly of archaeological interest. On the other
hand, the second group of sites selected has to do with
water, with life. We need to move away from abstract ideas
to the tangible: water and stone. We need to move from the
abstract history, where the clash between narratives is
inevitable, to tangible things which are understandable to
every man. Heritage by its nature is about conflict and the
shaping of a distinguishable identity, so there is a need
to deal with heritage in a completely new way.
- The understanding and learning of our shared heritage is
only the first step, and a very important step, in a long
process. We need to be aware of the differences between the
parties regarding the depth of knowledge of ones' heritage.
- It is necessary to build a manual. The sites in Jordan
participating in the project will set a pioneering example
of management, conservation and education.
- There needs to be an agreement between all the parties as
to the interpretation of the sites.
- The biggest challenge of the PUSH project is to reach out
to the local communities and to the younger generation, to
work from the grassroots.
- We need to look for additional ways to reach the local
communities and to distribute the ideas of PUSH.
- The aim of this project is to work with the communities
and not the exchange of views between the projects'
members.
Discussion Summary by
Professor Michael Turner:
- The importance of looking at the big picture alongside
the daily tasks awaits us.
- In other parts of the world, heritage is connected to the
day-to-day life of the people, the sites are still in use
by the local communities. In Jordan there is a separation
between the heritage sites- the water and stone- and the
local communities. We should think of ways to use the
heritage sites to empower the community, ways in which the
local community will benefit from the site.
- What is the aim of the PUSH project? PUSH can be used as
a tool to raise awareness to sustainability, to
conservation, to heritage. It is an educational tool. In
the past, people knew how to use the natural resources
around them in a sustainable way, we can use the examples
of the past.
- The importance of the project being a multi-lateral
project: People living near the sites are not aware of
their broader context and of the regional connection
between the sites.
- We need to be brave and deal with the political
implications of the sites.
Session I: Pilot Site
Brochures:
Presented by Dr. Yusuf Natsheh, Al Quds University Project
Manager
Dr. Natsheh presented numerous examples of brochures
currently available at local sites. He presented an
overview of the information that would be helpful to the
public when visiting the site. The wide range of options
available to the PUSH project allows creativity in
developing our brochures. The needs of the communities vary
between and within the partner countries. The needs of the
communities should be an integral part in the development
of each of PUSH's publications, including the brochures.
Open Experts
Discussion:
- What is the purpose of the brochures? Who are they
addressed to? Are they addressed to schools? To hotels in
Jerusalem? Are the brochures to be distributed at the
sites?
- "Keep it simple": Too much information on the brochures
is not good. We should narrow down the amount of
information on the brochures and instead put references to
additional sources of information like the website.
- The brochures need to raise questions and not to provide
answers.
- It is worthwhile to have a provocative question on the
brochures.
- Set up an information platform instead of a brochure.
- Questions regarding the content of the brochures: Is this
a brochure that will present the PUSH project? Is this a
brochure that will introduce the idea of shared heritage?
Is this a brochure that will give information on a specific
site?
- The situation of each partner country is very different.
For example, on the Palestinian side there is a serious
lack of basic information and information signs at sites.
- Who is the target group of the brochure? What kind of
language is it to be written in (e.g. scientific,
informative, for school children)? It is necessary to
define the target group.
- The brochures should be about the project, not about the
sites, they should promote the goal of increasing
understanding of our shared heritage using the site and its
linkages to the other pilot sites as an example.
- Maybe we need to make only one brochure in all the sites
presenting the idea of PUSH.
- In Palestinian areas, site infrastructure is not as
developed as in Israel and Jordan- we need to be aware of
this problem.
- The brochures should deal with the concept of different
narratives and shared heritage.
- The problem with the existing brochures is that the
information they contain is at times biased, this is why it
is important to give accurate historical and archeological
information and move away from subjective narratives.
- PUSH needs to push the development of sites in Palestine.
- There is a lot of work to be done on the Palestinian
sites. The needs vary at every site: increasing cooperation
with the local communities, rehabilitating the site,
raising public awareness, encouraging youth involvement and
dialogue.
- Sebastia is included on the list of natural parks managed
by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority as it is located
in Area C, for this reason it hasn't been developed. PUSH
should raise the issue of the responsibility of the sites
with the appropriate authorities.
- There is a problem of accessibility between the sites. We
need to try and make the sites accessible to as many people
as possible.
Discussion Summary by Dr.
Yusuf Natsheh:
There is a clear need for project teams to further define
the audience. There is a strong inclination towards
focusing awareness building efforts on school children.
There is a consensus that the brochures should very
specifically emphasize the shared heritage of each site in
addition to presenting accurate historical data and basic
information on the site. Furthermore, these brochures
should be a starting place for public inquiry into the
concept of shared heritage – they should raise questions
and provide information on where to find additional
information. A balance is needed between giving basic
information on the sites and the ideas of PUSH, as sites
are at various degrees of development.
Session II: Pilot Site
Manuals:
Presented by Mr. Khaled Nassar, JSSD Project Manager
Dr. Nasser presented an overview of the content of a
management manual and the manual's objectives. He
emphasized the importance of building a flexible manual
relevant to site managers from different backgrounds, as
some sites are managed by the community and some by
governmental organizations, and for sites at various stages
of development.
Open Experts
Discussion:
- It is not
realistic for PUSH to succeed in such a big mission.
Instead, maybe PUSH could take an example from sites that
already have a management program that has been developed
after years of research, like Beit She'an, and adjust it to
the different sites.
- The project needs to address the issue of how communities
in conflict deal with shared heritage. "The Management of
Shared" – a platform for international shared management.
- The manual does not address the general public but the
professional management. PUSH doesn't have any authority
over the sites but it can influence decision makers.
- The manual should be not the management of the site but
the management of shared; giving the format developed in
the PUSH process over the first 15 months.
- The strength of this project is not in its' ability to
shape a general management program but in the ability to
draw up a manual dealing with the shared heritage of
specific sites.
- The manual needs to appeal to local councils/NGOs in the
different sites in Palestine.
- The manual ought to complete the ideas expressed in the
brochures and carry the message of shared heritage.
- Who is the target group? To whom are we addressing our
message? We need to present our ideas in a way that will
appeal to the local community.
- The manuals appear to be very technical. In Israel every
site must have a manual by law, so the question is what is
the added value of the project? PUSH allows a different
approach to the sites, through the idea of shared heritage
can be integrated to the site manual.
Discussion Summary by
Khaled Nassar:
We must create a manual that
is relevant to the site managers and will thus be useful to
them in developing the concept of shared heritage at the
local sites. The PUSH manuals must have added value for the
local site managers.
Closing
Statements:
Presented by Mr.
Neil Silberman, Ename Center Coordinator for International
Projects
- It is necessary to establish bench marks: what are we
hoping to achieve in one years' time, in five years, in a
generation. To combine strategy and tactics.
- You need to set bench marks so you could monitor your
progress and the successes and failures of the project.
- The danger in this project is to set goals which are too
big. The targets that were presented in the manual are
worthy targets, but they are too big and unrealistic.
- There is no point in moving on without creating a manual
for PUSH. This is a critical mission for the future
progress of the project. We need to always keep in mind the
uniqueness of the projects, its' goals and its' purpose.
Additional comments
made:
- We ought to try and appeal to the international public:
the tentative lists, UNESCO. The Director-General of UNESCO
is coming to visit the Palestinian Authority at the
beginning of July. PUSH should take the opportunity present
the project and its publications to the Director-General at
that time.
- We need to remember the importance of working with tour
guides.
- It is necessary to start using new media and develop new
tools such as animation films and interactive sites.
- There is not enough discussion on mediums such as films
and the internet. There is not enough use of new media
where there are no limitations of physical borders and
language barriers. Bezalel can push towards a more
interactive approach.
- PUSH as a model that can be used in the future both in
the region and in other regions throughout the world. Think
of the next step after PUSH.
- Creating a manual for understanding of shared heritage in
areas of conflict.
- It is important to place additional bench marks to the
time table we already have.
- We should put the book on a CD and distribute it at the
sites.